


Where have we gone?

by Bekahboodles79



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 18:09:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20980181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bekahboodles79/pseuds/Bekahboodles79
Summary: Will Riker and Deanna Troi on Titan, there is something wrong and Will keeps slipping away at night...





	Where have we gone?

She had been going through her files for over three hours, something ... anything to keep her mind busy.  
He had taken a couple of double shifts over the course of the past few weeks... anything to keep his mind from wondering and accidentally brushing hers.  
Every fiber of her being screamed for release from the torment she had been living with since the incident.  
She wasnt sleeping, at least not well or for very long, when she finally did drift off to sleep; her nutritional intake was slim to none. The uniform that, only weeks ago, had begun to be snug around the middle, now nearly swallowed the woman's petite frame.  
But what made matters even more unbearable was that her husband had been slipping away at night to, who knew where... she was too afraid of the answer to ask him. One thing was certain, her beloved couldn't even stand to sleep in the same bed with her any more; causing her already shattered heart even more pain.  
He hasn't been sleeping, even when he did try to stay in bed next to his wife. He knew that if he fell into unconsciousness his mental shields would fall, if that happened it would cause his love even more anguish than she was already in... so he stayed away at all costs. 

He could see the stress she was under, the weight loss, a haggard look in those eyes he could drown in, but what broke the man was when he noted that she couldn't even fake a smile when speaking with the group she was standing with.  
All he wanted was to do was go to her, wrap her in his strong arms and hold her till the universe fell away.  
She was right there, just across the room, why couldn't he take that first step?  
He was right there, right across the room, all she had to do was look in his direction and he would come over. All he needed was for her to let him know that he was welcome, that she wouldn't shy away from his presence...

" Why don't you just take the bull by the horns and go over there?" a gentle voice encouraged from behind the tall Captain of the USS Titan. Will turned to acknowledge the person speaking to him, his tired blue eyes meeting warm brown orbs of an old friend.  
" Hey there Guinan, I guess I just can't make my feet go..." he set his empty glass down and turned back to his barkeep. When a fresh drink was placed in front of him along with a steaming cup of. hot cocoa, he got the idea that he was going to go talk with the lady on the other side of the room whether he liked it or not. She could feel him approach even before he'd made it half way to her. He was anxious and guarded, not lowering his mental shields for a second to let her bask in his warmth and strength. When he finally reached his destination, he found that he couldn't speak. She had turned to face him upon his approach his eyes meeting hers, the look in the depthless windows to her soul speaking only of pain, loneliness, grief and despair. He nearly dropped the drinks in his hands due to the sudden onslaught of Deanna's unbridled emotions.  
" is that for me?" She asked timidly after a few moments of awkward silence. The crewmen she had been chatting with had made a discreet exit, getting that the two senior officers needed some time.  
He handed the hot chocolate to his wife before he spilled it. Deanna motioned for him to follow her over to a secluded table where they could talk privately.

Will pulled her chair out for her, waiting to sit himslef until she was settled. He had straddled his chair on the other side of the table and gazed into his drink. Troi knew he wanted to talk, so she patiently waited. Riker gulped his drink in one long swig, placed the empty glass on the table, and looked up into her slightly sunken eyes.  
"I'm sorry I didnt come back last night, must have fallen asleep in my chair..." Out of all the things to start with, why did he have to mention that? He could see the tears collecting in her dark eyes, making his heart lurch. " Deanna, why don't we go home where we can relax and really talk, ok?"  
Crystal blue capture onyx even as his large hand gently takes hold of her smaller one in an effort to help her to her feet.  
They stolled to their quarters in relative silence, the only words spoken, the command for destination while in the turbolift.  
Once inside the sanctuary of their home, Will took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment and just took in the feel of the place.  
"Why don't you go, change into something more comfortable while I get dinner started?" He offered after a moment or two.  
"You're stalling Will. But I would like to get into something besides my uniform. I don't think I could eat very much so don't go to too much trouble please."  
With that she wandered back to their bedroom. A heavy sigh escaped the man before he went to the food replicator to order up some food for the two of them. He had just placed the meal on the table when he heard the faintest sound of his wife's footfalls behind him.  
The sight that met his eyes was one he hadn't seen in months,; from her bare feet to her loosened dark hair that flowed past slender shoulders, she was a vision in a soft pink gown. A low whistle was all her could manage, verbal speach was not happening at that moment. At first he thought he'd upset her by the whistle but soon realized that was not the case once he noticed the light blush rushing up to Deanna's cheeks and the gentle smile spreading across her soft lips.  
"I guess you approve then?" She chuckled as he helped her into a chair. "Oh I approve" he responded.  
The couple ate their meal in comfortable silence for a time, only being broken by inquiries of how the food tasted or how the day had gone  
Finally Deanna looked up from her plate to ask her husband a question, THE question, the one that had haunted her for weeks... "Where do you slip off to in the middle of the night when you think I'm asleep?"


End file.
